Second Chances
by dare-denymecider
Summary: Jenny's gone and Gibbs takes a leave of absence. Don't hate me for the pairing ; Anything up to the end of S5 is fair game spoilerwise


Not for the first time Leroy Jethro Gibbs wondered what the hell he was doing

**Disclaimer: No copyright infringement of any kind intended**

**Rating: T**

**A/N: Okay, so I know I have a few fics on the go right now but life has been hectic with exams and now graduation and I just haven't had the time or motivation to get them started again. In saying that, this popped into my head the other night and I thought I'd see how it goes. I promise that I will finish the other fics as soon as I get the time. I hope you all enjoy this and remember, I'm a JIBBS lover at heart so fellow Jibbs fans, don't hate me ;)**

**Second Chances**

Not for the first time Leroy Jethro Gibbs wondered what the hell he was doing. He was sitting in first class, the young check-in clerk misguidedly thinking that a man as handsome and scruffily dressed as Gibbs had to be someone famous attempting to travel incognito and upgraded him from coach. The truth was that after a lot of internal debate he'd finally made up his mind to go in the early hours of the morning and had gone straight to the airport, still wearing the clothes he'd been wearing to work on the boat and carrying nothing more than the overnight bag he always kept in the car for out of town cases.

He took a deep gulp of bourbon and looked at his watch. His team would be at the office by now, no doubt speculating wildly as to why their boss had suddenly taken a leave of absence. Before he left the house he'd left a terse message for the Director and also a quick message for DiNozzo, warning him that he would be back and that he expected the team to be in one piece when he returned. He also knew that within the hour they would have coerced Abby into tracking down his exact whereabouts and he didn't know if that knowledge annoyed him or reaffirmed to him that he had the best team in NCIS.

When the attendant came around to offer him breakfast, he simply shook his head and held out his glass which she dutifully refilled, no questions asked and no explanation proffered. He settled his head back against the plush seat and closed his eyes. He knew that sleep would not come as it had not for the past 2 weeks but the images that flashed beneath the closed lids were a welcome sight.

NCIS

Gibbs's gaze followed the waiter's outstretched hand and he thanked the man with a curt nod. He walked over slowly, still not sure he had even done the right thing by coming and definitely not sure what to say now that he was actually here. As he neared the table, he took a moment to reacquaint himself with the sight of her. Her hair was shorter and fell in soft waves to her shoulders. With her back to him, he could see her shoulders and arms had benefited from the months in the sun, her tan set off by the duck egg blue sundress she wore.

The longer he stood behind her, silently watching, the more he wanted to turn around and get back on the next plane to DC. However, he was here now and before he could change his mind he said the first thing that came into his head.

"Aloha,"

He watched her body stiffen at the sound of his voice. She didn't turn around and so he walked around the small table and placed his hand on the chair opposite her.

"Mind if I sit down?"

Something flashed across her eyes; confusion? Panic? Hurt? He wasn't sure what it was but she wordlessly nodded her head and he sat down. She crossed her arms and rested them on the table, leaning forward a little as she did so.

"What are you doing here, Jethro?" she asked, her voice as guarded as her body language.

"Can't a guy take a vacation?" he joked but she raised her eyebrows and the false smile slipped from his face. "I wanted to see you,"

"It's been 5 months. You've only just decided you wanted to see me?"

"You were the one who walked out on me?" he countered.

"I wasn't aware there was anything to walk out on," she said coldly.

"Is this about me not telling you about Shannon and Kelly? Because if it is…"

"No, it's not about you not telling me. It's about you not being ready to be with me the way I wanted you to. I told you months ago that I wanted us to be more serious, you weren't receptive to the idea so I left."

"Just like that?"

"No, not 'just like that'. I thought long and hard about giving up on you but in the end I knew that I wasn't even near the top of your list after Shannon and Kelly,"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. I didn't have the time to wait around for you to decide whether or not you were going to choose me or go back to Jenny,"

At the sound of her name, he swallowed hard. "Yeah, well, you don't have to worry about Jenny anymore,"

Hollis reached over and gently covered his hand with hers. "I heard. I'm sorry. I wanted to come for the funeral but I…."

"Well, it's obvious the two of you didn't like each other very much so I wouldn't worry about it too much," he said, a little harsher than he intended.

Hollis pulled her hand away. "That's not what I meant at all. I may not have liked Jenny because of the hold she seemed to have over your emotions but I respected the woman more than you can imagine. She achieved what most women in our line of work can only dream of."

"Yeah, she was a fighter," he said with a soft smile.

They sat for a few moments in silence, Jenny's presence as real between them as it had been when she'd been alive.

"So," Hollis began, "is that why you're here? Because Jenny is gone?"

"No, I…" he stopped and lifted his head so that his gaze met hers. "Yes, Jenny's death is probably why I'm here. But not because she's gone and you're second best but because her death made me put things into perspective. I've lost too many people in my life and it's been out with my control. I don't want to lose you too. I miss you, Holl,"

He saw the tears glisten in her eyes and he offered her a napkin to wipe them away.

"So, you think you can just get on a plane and tell me you miss me? It's not as simple as that,"

"No, of course it's not. I know that. I know that you'll need time and…"

"No, I mean, it's not as simple as you think it is at all. You never let me explain to you why I couldn't come to Jenny's funeral, even though I wanted to,"

Gibbs frowned but let her continue.

"I couldn't fly. I'm not allowed to fly," she said, leaning back in her chair and resting her hand on the swell of her stomach.

Gibbs eyes grew wide as he took in the sight of Hollis before him. "How far along are you?" he asked.

"Eight months,"

"Is it mine?" he managed to choke out.

Hollis nodded her head and leaned forward to touch his hand. He pulled away quickly as if her touch would burn.

"Jethro?" Hollis watched as he stood up and pushed back his chair, the heads of the other diners turning to watch as he stormed out of the restaurant, leaving Hollis alone at the table as she had been for 5 months since she'd left him.

**A/N: Oooh, shock-horror and surprise I hear you gasp…another babyfic from Em. I can't help it, it's a disease. I hope you like it so far anyway, let me know what you think x**


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